The Arizona Cardinals are already into the thick of training camp, and on Friday the focus was exactly where it should be this early: on reps, alignment and who’s picking things up fastest.
Fans were allowed in to watch practice, and the tickets were free. A sizable media crowd was there too. For now, though, everything is still in the early-camp stage - just helmets and shorts, with the offense and defense working through the basics before the real contact starts.
Even without a full pass rush, the quarterback work stood out. Gardner Minshew spent the day spreading the ball around, and his favorite target so far appeared to be Marvin Harrison, who looked good and seemed to have added some bulk. Minshew also connected with tight end Trey McBride on a highlight play.
Carson Beck made his own case as well. He showed a strong arm and the ability to fit throws into tight windows, especially when rolling out and looking downfield.
With Jacoby Brissett still trying to get comfortable in the new offense, Beck is at least making a push that the Week 1 conversation may not be settled yet. The Cardinals had all four quarterbacks throwing, and Minshew and Beck were getting the first-team reps.
Kedon Slovis was active too, and he had the day’s only turnover with a fumble. If the Cardinals had to line up tomorrow, Minshew would be under center with Beck holding the tablet.
Brissett, meanwhile, looked sluggish and possibly heavier, though that was hard to separate from the black jerseys all the quarterbacks were wearing. His movement didn’t look fluid at this point.
The receiver work gave the offense plenty to sort through. Rookie Reggie Virgil ran good routes and showed some moves, while the coaches got a clearer read on who was getting to the right spots and who wasn’t.
On the other side, the defensive backs made their presence felt. There wasn’t much hitting, but the secondary was aggressive and got hands on several balls.
Max Melton broke up a few, and Jaden Davis and Will Johnson also flashed. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was around the football all day, and Jordan Burch looked like he was learning where he needed to be in coverage.
Budda Baker was heavily involved with the safeties and looked more like a coach than a player at times. He was active with the younger defensive backs and with veteran Andrew Wingard. There are seven safeties in camp, and the Cardinals will probably keep four, though five could stick if Nick Rallis leans more on 4-2-5 looks this season.
Overall, the defense had the better day, which is usually how these things go early in camp. The bigger storyline remains the new offense, and on Friday the Cardinals kept working through it while the quarterbacks and defensive backs drew most of the attention.
One other notable detail: Isaiah Adams was at camp and taking part in drills after his recent weapons arrest.
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Cardinals QB Battle Just Took A Sudden Turn Around Brissett
The Cardinals quarterback competition has already taken a sharp early-season turn, and it came on the second day of training camp when Jacoby Brissett was not part of the 11-on-11 work. Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis handled those reps instead, a setup that underscored how quickly the camp order can shift when a veteran is still trying to get comfortable in a new offense.
Mike LaFleur said there is no timeline for Brissett to catch up, which leaves Arizona with a real early sorting-out period at the most important spot on the field. The camp picture is already a little uneven beyond quarterback, with Paris Johnson and Josh Sweat starting on the physically unable to perform list and the organization also dealing with the indefinite suspension of personnel executive Ryan Gold under the NFLs gambling policy. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Lost Another Young D Lineman Before He Could Matter
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For a front that was counting on young depth to matter, the loss stings because it narrows the margin even more on the interior. The Cardinals will have to keep sorting through the rest of their defensive line group to absorb the snap load, but Proctors absence leaves one more unanswered question about how much of this rookie class will actually get a chance to contribute when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Just Drew A Line Around Cardinals Pick
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LaFleur has also made clear that Arizona believes Loves background matters as much as his talent, praising the foundation that shaped him and the way he carries himself around veterans. For a team trying to change its culture as much as its roster, that kind of endorsement is part of the pitch, even if the outside criticism around the pick is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]